This invention relates to the field of pickup trucks and, particularly, to an improved stake arrangement adaptable to enclose pickup truck beds of differing length and differing side wall pocket layout.
Truck stake arrangements have gained increasing interest over the years as the use of trucks of all kinds for both personal use and cargo transportation has ever broadened. For the most part, this concern has centered around large eighteen-wheel flatbed trucks used for cross country transportation of a great variety of articles from feed grains to heavy machinery. In this regard, the need existed for a truck stake arrangement that was easy to install and take down, was lightweight for storage, and was structurally capable of supporting both wall panels and a tarpaulin roof against the force of sliding or shifting cargo of varying weight. Carter, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,224 discloses an early convertible trailer stake arrangement designed to fit these needs.
Over the years, many improvements and changes have been made in these truck stake arrangements. For example, Woodward, U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,724, discloses a removable two-part stake for a flatbed cargo-carrying vehicle including the basic rectangular cross-sectional stake and a wall having a T bar slidably received within a single slot on the stake to support the upright edge of a wall panel. Glassmeyer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,275, on the other hand, discloses a complicated stake post and cap arrangement for the trailer of a highway vehicle. The construction of the stake itself in Glassmeyer et al. is such that an inboard and an outboard member each dovetail together to form a wall-supporting stake, the tarpaulin-supporting cap then inserting into the upper opening in the stake.
By far, one of the more important improvements in truck stake design was the development of the delta, or triangular cross section, stake first patented by Tuerk on Sept. 19, 1972, U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,354. This delta stake configuration saved on material cost while strengthening the stake arrangement and increasing its supporting capacity. This delta stake concept further lends itself to adaptation to meet the changing needs of the industry, as evidenced by the improved delta truck stake arrangement disclosed in Tuerk, U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,601.
Over the years, much less interest has been shown in developing bed enclosure arrangements for the smaller pickup trucks having raised side walls and much smaller load capacity. However, with the recent surge of interest in pickup trucks and four-wheel drive vehicles for family use, and with their ever burgeoning use by suburban and rural residents, the need exists for a lightweight, easy-handling and versatile stake arrangement for enclosing pickup truck beds.
However, problems exist with developing an effective and practicable pickup truck stake arrangement which are not encountered in arrangements for the larger flatbed highway vehicles. For example, standardization has not reached the pickup truck industry. Although the majority of pickup trucks do include a plurality of pockets around the opposing side walls of the truck bed, the layouts, or patterns, of these pockets are by no way uniform. In addition, the differing lengths of pickup truck beds pose a significant problem because a particular stake and panel arrangement may fit one type of pickup truck while being too short or too long, and thus totally unacceptable for many others. Another problem is that pickup truck owners may either need to enclose the entire bed, including the side walls, or just the inside of the pickup truck bed itself, depending upon the specific use contemplated.
Examples of the work accomplished to date in the pickup truck area are Giles, U.S. Pat. No. 2,690,351, and Magers, U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,573. Magers merely discloses a tie-down unit for use in the stake pockets of pickup trucks serving to fasten down loads exceeding that of the truck bed itself. Giles, on the other hand, discloses a knock-down type cover for vehicles such as pickup trucks in which feet are removably inserted in the post sockets of the side walls of the pickup truck body.
Therefore, the need has and continues to exist for a stake design and arrangement effective to satisfy the varying needs of pickup truck owners. This stake design and arrangement must be lightweight and easily handled. It must be structurally sturdy and capable of supporting enclosure panels, or walls, as well as a tarpaulin roof if needed. It must be versatile to adapt for enclosing pickup truck beds of differing length and of differing pocket layout, and should further be versatile to allow enclosing either of the truck bed and side walls together or just of the inside truck bed alone.